Jennifer DeLuna was recently hired as the director of diversity and inclusion at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
The director of diversity and inclusion has many jobs, including overseeing seven student-staff, creating programming and holding workshops on social justice, race and diversity.
As one of the activities DeLuna is planning, the university will hold a powow in the fall.
“It’s appropriate and I think it’s the mission of the educational institution to highlight culture and campus community,” DeLuna said.
DeLuna came from a position at the University of Illinois, a Division 1 school that supported six cultural centers and 1,300 staff.
“We had a Black House, La Casa, Native American, Asian Pacific, women’s and Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender resource centers,” DeLuna said.
“Our plans are to celebrate women’s month, during the month of March,” said DeLuna. “And because May is Asian-Pacific month we may have an event at the end of April. I understand that there is a large number of Hawaiians at this campus. We want to showcase them.”
DeLuna said a spiritual fair will be held in the last part of March. A sexual-assault-awareness event and the Pacific Islander Hula workshops are also upcoming.
So if students missed the Native American Dancers at Lake Pueblo, or at the Sangre De Cristo Arts Center last weekend, they may have to either wait for the powwow in Pueblo until fall semester or they can go to Denver for a huge powwow held the third weekend in March.
The Northern Wing Dancers who were featured at both Pueblo events will participate in Denver.
“There will be over 1,000 dancers,” said Raul Figueroa part Assiniboine, part Sioux. He served eight years in the military and said one of the Native American customs was to join the army because this followed the warrior traditions.
Figueroa and other male dancers danced the eagle dance at Lake Pueblo. He spoke of the meaning.
“In the first creation, an eagle flew down to the Black Hills and turned into a man. So, man gave up flight as a representation of everlasting power to the Lakota.”
Figueroa dances with his children in his performances, too.
“My kids started when they were 2-year-olds. We’d go to powows and they would fall asleep to the beat of the drums. It’s similar to the heartbeat like they hear in the womb and that keeps them strong,” Figueroa said.